1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus in which an image is formed by exposing a photosensitive material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been realized printing apparatuses that use digital exposure methods; e.g., a digital photo printer in which image data is formed by photoelectrically reading an image recorded on a film and converting the image into digital signals, which are in turn transformed into digital image data after undergoing various image processes, then scan-exposing a photosensitive material to have an image (latent image) recorded thereon by radiating a light beam modulated based on the digital image data, and finally outputting the image as a print (photograph) after development.
In a digital photo printer, a film is photoelectrically read, and gradation correction and so forth are carried out by image (signal) processing, whereby exposure conditions are determined. Therefore, it is possible to optionally carry out print image editing, such as image composing and image splitting, and image processing, such as color/density adjustment and edge enhancement, and output of prints processed properly according to purpose. Further, image data for print images can be imported into computers and stored in recording media such as floppy disks. Moreover, digital photo printers can output prints having higher picture-quality with respect to resolution and color/density reproducibility than conventional printers which use direct exposure.
Such a digital photo printer is structured of an input apparatus having a scanner (image reading apparatus) and an image processing apparatus, and an output apparatus having a printing apparatus (image recording apparatus) and a developing unit. In the scanner, a projected light from the film which has an image formed thereon is photoelectrically read by an image sensor such as a CCD sensor, and then transmitted to the image processing apparatus as image data (image data signals) for the film. The image processing apparatus carries out predetermined image processing on the image data, and then the processed data is transmitted to the printing apparatus as image data (exposure conditions) for the film. If the printing apparatus is an apparatus using scan-exposure by a light beam, a light beam modulated based on the image data transmitted is deflected in a main-scanning direction and photosensitive material is conveyed in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, whereby a latent image is formed on the photosensitive material and back-printing is carried out. In the developing unit, the exposed photosensitive material is processed by predetermined processing and then made to be a print or photograph which is visibly reproduced or transformed from the image recorded on the film.
In such a printing apparatus, the photosensitive material, which is accommodated in a magazine, is nipped and pulled out from the magazine by a pair of pulling-out rollers, which are provided in the apparatus body, and then conveyed to an exposure section. In this case, after a sequential exposure process is carried out, there is a possibility that an unexposed portion of the photosensitive material, which was nipped and pulled out by the pair of pulling-out rollers and which has not reached the exposure section, is rewound in a nipped state.
However, when the photosensitive material is rewound in this nipped state, the photosensitive material is easily skewed, whereby guide members, or magazine outlet portions and the like may scratch or damage the photosensitive material.